ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on December 28, 2003

Dear Jim: Sure, no problem. I will be doing a more detailed essay on the subject later on, but for now here are a few notes. There are four levels of Church teaching, each with their own level of assent required of the faithful. Level 1 Teaching is that which has be Divine Revealed in the Word of God, written of handed down, and that which has been solemnly judged as divinely revealed truths. The judgment is made by: 1) ex cathedra proclamations of the Roman Pontiff; 2) College of Bishops gathered in council; 3) infallibly proposed by the ordinary Magisterium. This level of teaching must be believed by all the Faithful. Anyone who denies thus teachings, OR who obstinately doubts these teachings are in heresy and thereby automatically excommunicated. Examples of Level 1 teaching required for belief by all the Faithful include: the articles of faith of the Creed, the various Christological dogmas, the various Marian dogmas, the doctrine of the institution of the sacraments by Christ and their efficacy with regard to grace, the doctrine of the real and substantial presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the sacrificial nature of the eucharistic celebration, the foundation of the Church by the will of Christ, the doctrine on the primacy and infallibility of the Roman Pontiff, the doctrine on the existence of original sin, the doctrine on the immortality of the spiritual soul, the immediate recompense after death, the absence of error in the inspired sacred texts, the doctrine on the grave immorality of direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being, the Immaculate Conception, and the Assumption of Mary. Level 2 teaching is that which has been Definitively Proposed by the Church on faith and morals. These teachings are necessary for living and expounding the deposit of faith. This level of teaching does NOT need to be formally revealed by the Magisterium but are teachings that could be formally defined if prudence warrants. This level of teaching REQUIRED a firm and definitive assent of the faithful. Whoever denies Level 2 teachings ceases to be in full communion with the Catholic Church. Denial of Level 2 teaching does not rise to the level of heresy, but could be considered a sort-of "heresy-junior" in that since the person is no longer in communion with the Church, he would be barred from receiving the Sacraments. Examples of Level 2 teaching include: a. [from historical necessity] - the legitimacy of the election of the Supreme Pontiff, the celebration of an ecumenical council, the canonizations of saints (dogmatic facts), the declaration of Pope Leo XIII in the Apostolic Letter Apostolicae Curae on the invalidity of Anglican ordinations ... b. [from logical necessity] - the doctrine on the primacy and infallibility of the Roman Pontiff prior to Vatican I's definition, the doctrine that priestly ordination is reserved only to men, the doctrine on the illicitness of euthanasia (Evangelium Vitae), the teaching on the illicitness of prostitution, the teaching on the illicitness of fornication. Level 3 Teaching is that teaching from the authentic Ordinary Magisterium presented to the faithful as true, or at least sure, even if not defined by solemn judgment or proposed as definitive. Level 3 teaching REQUIRES the Religious submission of will and intellect from the Faithful. Examples of Level 3 Teaching include: teachings set forth by the "authentic ordinary Magisterium in a non-definitive way, which require degrees of adherence differentiated according to the mind and the will manifested; this is shown especially by the nature of the documents, by the frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or by the tenor of the verbal expression" (Vatican II, Lumen gentium 25) Level 4 Teaching are the disciplinary teachings and instructions of the Church. Examples of Level 4 teaching include the Liturgy of the Mass, the celibacy of priests, etc. For more details with references to Canon Law, and a discussion of the issue of dissent in light of these levels of teaching, see my previous posting: Click Here. God Bless, Bro Ignatius Mary